Living in the Moment
by writerchic16
Summary: Despite her efforts to seem normal, Reba's life is filled with not-so-normal days. How much can she really blame her guardian angel? [Short stories set in my "Terry the Guardian Angel" universe.]
1. An Unlikely Guest

**Living in the Moment**

Summary: Despite her efforts to seem normal, Reba's life is filled with not-so-normal days. How much can she really blame her guardian angel? [Short stories set in my "Terry the Guardian Angel" universe.]

A/N: This isn't exactly a _sequel_ to my series. It's more of an anthology - short stories taking place in my "Terry the Guardian Angel" AU. One-shots won't be in any particular order either. They might take place after the fifth story, before the first story, or anywhere in-between. I can't tell you how many stories there will be or if it will ever be "complete." Basically this is my way of keeping my series alive, should I ever feel like returning to it. Enjoy!

An Unlikely Guest

_January 2019_

Reba sat with Jake and his fiance in her living room, helping them finalize their guest list for the wedding. She still couldn't believe her youngest child, her only son, was really getting married. (Even after seeing it two years before anyone else.) It had been a long road for the couple, so Reba didn't care much about the details anymore – as long as they went through with the ceremony. Besides, why stress about things like bridesmaids dresses when she already knew what Quinn would choose?

"Do we have to invite _all_ our relatives?" Jake frowned at the lists scattered on the coffee table. "Seriously Mom, I don't even know who some of these people are."

Her stern look was half-hearted, as she didn't see the point of this particular tradition either. "It would be rude if we didn't, Jake. Half of them probably won't show up anyway. I'll admit, when it comes to some branches of our family tree, we're lucky if we exchange Christmas cards."

"Who are these people, Mrs. Hart?" Quinn asked, holding up one of the shorter lists. There'd been some debate about what Quinn should call Reba. Technically Reba remarried, but since all of her kids were Harts, keeping her old title seemed easier. Van also set the precedent years before, though the two newcomers never dared to call her "Mrs. H."

Looking at Quinn's piece of paper, Reba recognized it immediately. "Mike Holliway" filled the top line. "Oh, that's a list of people Brock and I want to invite. There's not many, just a handful of family friends the kids know too."

"We're inviting Terry's brother?" Jake asked, also reading the list. "I've got a bunch of questions there, and I'm not sure where to start."

Quinn took the list from him, her eyebrow arching at the name. "Hold on. Terry, as in Guardian Angel Terry? He has a _brother?"_ She sighed. "I still have to remind myself it all really happened, that it wasn't a super long dream."

"You sound like family already," Jake teased.

As they all shared a laugh, Reba explained, "Well, I told you how Terry became an angel after he died. His brother Mike is still alive, so I wanted to invite him."

"But _why?"_ Jake pressed, still very confused. "It's not like the three of you were besties before Terry died. You dumped his brother for Dad!"

Quinn gasped, staring at Reba with wide eyes. "Oh my God! I knew you and Terry dated, but you _dumped_ him? This poor guy has to be a guardian angel for someone who broke his heart? How in the world is that fair?"

Though her first instinct was to defend herself, Reba wound up shrugging. "Honestly, Quinn, I haven't been able to answer that question myself. It's not fair to him at all. But Terry and I are stuck with each other, so we've always made the best of it. Not like we have much choice."

"This really is the most bizarre situation ever," Quinn muttered.

"You said it," Reba agreed. "Anyway, I'm inviting Mike because we reconnected a couple of years ago, when I gave him a letter from Terry. You've met him, Jake. He's stopped by a few times." The truth was, she remembered Terry would be a wedding guest and wanted to give the brothers a chance to see each other. Reba held off saying anything out of instinct. She'd kept future events to herself again because she was still afraid of changing them.

Jake paused. "You gave him a letter from Terry? Recently? How did _that_ happen?"

"You're better off not knowing the details," Reba answered. "I still get nervous during lightning storms." After her panic over the letter, Brock still made jokes about God striking her down. Reba didn't find it funny considering how strange her life could get. When she noticed the engaged couple staring at her with shared confusion, Reba muttered, "Never mind."

Shaking his head, Jake glanced at the list again. "So if Mike comes...we wouldn't be able to invite Terry, right? It would be too risky."

Reba smiled at her son, realizing she wouldn't have to wait long for things to work out. "Mike knows about Terry, Jake. One of those 'details' I mentioned."

"That's great! So we _can_ invite him!"

"Hold on, honey," Quinn said, patting Jake's shoulder. "You want to invite an _angel_ to our wedding. Is that even possible?"

Jake shrugged. "We've invited him over for dinner a couple times now. A wedding probably wouldn't be much different."

When Quinn's jaw dropped, Reba put a hand over her own mouth and tried not to laugh. She felt bad for her son's fiance. Quinn had been struggling to keep up during the entire conversation. "Well, inviting him won't be a problem." Reba remembered to act like she was hearing this for the first time. "I'm sure he'd be thrilled to attend. If anything, we might have to cross some people off the 'family friends' list. A few people from the past would definitely recognize Terry...which would be hard to explain since they also went to his funeral."

"God," Quinn muttered. "This is crazy."

Jake grinned at her. "You haven't even heard the half of it." He paused as he looked over at his mother. "So Mom, you really think Terry will come to the wedding?"

"I know he will."

_April 2019_

A few days before the wedding, everyone was scheduled to meet at the church for the wedding rehearsal. Terry still had not been invited. Quinn left it up to Jake, who felt awkward reaching out to Terry 'when it wasn't an emergency.' Meanwhile, Reba knew Terry _would_ be there, so she still needed to cover her bases. Brock had invited a couple of their old friends on his own, not realizing the complications it would cause. Unfortunately Reba couldn't blame him since she still didn't tell anyone what she knew.

Even though it wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, Reba arrived early to chat with Reverend Parks and vent her frustrations. She sat in the front pew while they both waited for the rest of the family. "Jake wants to invite Terry to the wedding," Reba began.

"Oh." Ignoring the fact that Terry was an angel, Reverend Parks commented, "Cutting it close, isn't he? The wedding is this week."

Reba sighed. "He still hasn't quite figured out how to invite an angel to a wedding. I'm more worried about sneaking Terry in."

_That_ made Reverend Parks pause. "'Sneak in'? And you sound awfully sure Terry will be there, considering he hasn't been invited yet."

"Um..." Reba gave him a weak grin. "You see, uh, I sort of _know_ he'll be there. Have I ever told you that Terry sometimes...shows me the future?"

The reverend didn't respond for a minute. "It's been mentioned." Shaking his head, Reverend Parks struggled to move forward. "So...you _saw_ Terry at the wedding?"

"You what?"

Reba stood up when her son and Quinn entered the church. "Jake! I..."

"You saw our wedding?" Jake insisted. "And you never told us? How long ago?"

Looking at their annoyed faces, Reba heart began to pound as she felt the pressure to come clean. She took a second to calm herself because she was _not_ going to faint at another wedding. "Ummm...well, what does it matter now? We all got here, right?"

"How long ago, Mom?" Jake asked again.

Reba grimaced, knowing she had to be honest. "Two years ago. Right after the big concert. But again, what does it matter? Everything worked out!"

While Jake processed this, Quinn stared at her future mother-in-law with wide eyes. "You saw the future, _again_? You are psychic, aren't you?"

"No, it's not me," Reba argued. "It was all Terry's idea. I'm just along for the ride, really. The hard part is handling all the future knowledge when I get back. Believe me, there were times I literally had to bite my tongue so I didn't tell you."

Jake gave her a confused glance. "Why didn't you?"

"The same reason I never tell anyone about the future," Reba answered with a shrug. "I can't risk changing it."

That finally made Quinn smile. She wrapped her arm around Jake's. "Well, that's something. If you think about it, there were times she probably believed in us more than we did."

Jake chuckled. "That's for sure."

Meanwhile, Reverend Parks whispered to Reba, "Looks like you sidestepped that one."

"Thank God for small miracles," Reba whispered back, making him laugh. She turned to Jake. "You know, we still have something to address here. You need to invite Terry."

The subject change made Jake put two and two together. "Wait...you saw Terry at the wedding. That's why you invited Mike?" When Reba nodded, Jake confessed, "I've been putting it off because this just seemed kind of weird, you know? I felt like I was breaking a rule or something."

"Been there," Reba muttered, earning a curious look from the reverend. "Look, I'm not an expert on angelic law, but I think a lot of this is very situational. If something's not supposed to happen, it won't. And vice versa. All we can do is...what we think is right."

Reverend Parks tilted his head. "Hm. I think I feel next week's sermon coming on. Thank you, Reba."

"Any time."

"So you're saying I should just invite him then." Jake sighed, gathering his courage while everyone gave him supportive looks. "I'm not sure how to go about this. I just pray, right?"

Reba shrugged. "I've used different methods over the years. Yelling his name skyward is my personal favorite, especially when I'm mad at him. Doesn't even have to be his name exactly. One time I called him a chicken butt."

"I missed that one," Jake said with a laugh.

"Wish number four."

"Gotcha."

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "There were four wishes? You only told me about the first two."

"You know, Reba," Reverend Parks added, "I've never heard all the details either. Just vague references over the years that always left me a little confused."

Reba laughed weakly. "Jake, call Terry _now."_

Since he didn't want to explain either, Jake happily complied. He let out a deep sigh and looked up at the ceiling. "Hey, Terry! I don't know if this will work, or if I'm about to look real stupid, but I really need to talk to you..."

"About dang time. I've been listening to ya'll argue for like ten minutes."

"Oh, gosh!"

Terry had appeared in the pew right behind Reba. Normally used to these situations, she jumped and whirled around. "You did that on purpose!"

"Well, duh. Don't you know me by now?"

Quinn had gasped at Terry's arrival, her eyes wide as she grabbed her fiance's arm. Jake merely laughed at his mother's startled reaction. Though shocked by the unfamiliar experience, Reverend Parks chuckled at the exchange. "Hi Terry. Remember me?"

Terry grinned. "Of course I do, you're my partner in crime. Keeping an eye on Reba here is at least a two-person job."

"Mostly thanks to you," Reba grumbled.

Flattered by the angel's compliment, Reverend Parks smiled. "Happy to do what I can."

"Hi, Terry," Jake said, nudging Quinn to relax her grip on his arm. If his grimace was any indication, her fingernails probably broke skin. "You remember Quinn too, right?"

Terry simply nodded, noticing how nervous she was. "Hi, Jake, Quinn. Nice to see you both again." Quinn only nodded in return since she was too anxious to speak.

Sending Terry a grateful smile, Jake continued, "So, uh, I'm sure you know the wedding is coming up soon. Like, this week. I wanted to invite you sooner than this, but I wasn't sure it was allowed, and I didn't know how to go about it. Like, where would I send an invitation? You don't even have an email address or anything either as far as I know..."

Terry laughed to save Jake from finishing his explanation. "It's okay, Jake, I understand. And I'd be honored to attend your wedding. Just tell me exactly when it is and I'll make sure I'm around."

His face lighting up at the answer, Jake exclaimed, "Really? That's awesome!" He was so happy that he hugged Terry, who'd become a friend after so many years. Then Terry opened his arms to Quinn. She shyly went into them, only for a second, and returned to her fiance's side.

Reba held back a strong wave of emotion, moved by her son's friendship with Terry. She never could've imagined her ex-boyfriend being an important person in her children's lives. It actually had required a miracle – well really, a bunch of miracles. "So, now that that's settled, we have a problem. There's gonna be a lot of people at this wedding...and a few of them might recognize Terry."

"Really?" Terry asked, curious. "Who? Did you invite Mike?"

Giving Terry a sideways glance, Reba answered, "Yes, I invited Mike, but that's okay because he knows about you. The problem is, Brock and I still have some friends from when we worked at your bar. They watched the kids grow up and want to attend the wedding. I couldn't just tell these people not to come."

"I'm trying to figure out who you mean. Were they at my funeral?"

At that, Reverend Parks raised an eyebrow. "There's a question you don't hear often."

Reba sighed. "Focus, Terry. It doesn't matter who they are, the point is you might be recognized. I'd advise against this whole thing if...if I didn't already see it."

The group became quiet while they thought of a solution. The others looked up in surprise when Quinn was the one to break the silence. "Um...as for the ceremony, maybe Terry could get here early? And stay in the front with Jake's family? No one will notice him if he's already sitting down."

"Quinn, that's brilliant," Reba said, giving her a grateful smile. "Terry, you can arrive when it's just us. No one will notice while they're filing in and looking for seats. The same could probably work for the reception. As long as you don't stay in one spot for too long. Even if someone thinks they recognize you, they'll brush it off if they can't find you again."

Terry considered the plan. "It could work. And I probably won't be able to stay at the reception long anyway. As it is I'm just happy I can attend the ceremony."

"This is perfect," Jake said, kissing the top of Quinn's head. "That was a great idea, honey."

They all looked towards the doors when more family members started to arrive. Kyra and Bryce walked into the church, Kyra carrying toddler Teri on her hip. "Hey!" Kyra greeted. "Look Teri, it's Uncle Terry! What are you doing here?"

"And it starts," Reba muttered.

Sending Reba a knowing grin, Terry turned to the newcomers. "Just stopping by. Your brother finally got around to inviting me to the wedding..."

"You said you understood!"

"Kidding, Jake, relax," Terry assured him. "I'm about to take off, actually."

Reba glanced at her guardian angel. "You're welcome to stay, you know."

"Nah, with the wedding coming up, I'm testing limits as it is. Especially after that stunt with Mike a couple years ago. Considering I'm about to bend the rules again, I better earn my brownie points where I can get 'em."


	2. Brock Finds Out

Brock Finds Out

A/N: Brock found out about Terry at the end of "Living a Life Not Mine," but I skipped over it and never explored his reaction. Now that I'm doing these short stories, I can finally make up for the oversight. This could also count as a companion story for "Living a Life Not Mine."

_January 2008_

Brock couldn't believe it.

His ex-wife was finally engaged. Not that he had any right to be jealous considering their history. He just...felt overwhelmed by it all, sometimes. He and Reba promised to be together for the rest of their lives. Now they were together, but with other people. Life threw them curveballs they never could have predicted on their wedding day.

Sometimes Brock wished he and Reba could be friends without all the baggage. He missed hanging out with her, making her smile when he walked into the room. Now she scowled more often than not even so many years later. It wasn't that he wanted to date Reba again. Their ship had long-since sailed, several times over. He simply missed being her friend.

Maybe they could work on it now that Reba was engaged. They could double date. Barbra Jean would love the idea. Reba might need some convincing, though maybe not as much as before. It was odd, ever since Reba's coma, she'd been a little nicer to him. Something probably happened to her head – it was the only explanation.

_Engaged. _The thought still made him uneasy seven years later. At least he genuinely liked Adam.

Brock walked in to see Adam and Reba hugging Cheyenne and Van. Barbra Jean squealed loudly and ran to give Reba a bone-crushing hug. Jake, Elizabeth and Henry sat around the living room, excitedly chatting about the wedding and the future. Cheyenne kept an eye on Brock Jr. as he slept in the playpen. Unfortunately Kyra was still on the road, but Reba called her and told her the news that morning. Kyra had said she'd visit at the first opportunity to help with wedding plans.

Reba stepped through the crowd and went over to Brock. "Hey there," she said, unable to dim her smile. "Funny, isn't it? Engagement parties aren't often attended by the ex and his new wife. How are you doing?"

Brock laughed, nodding in agreement. "Nothing about our family is normal. Congratulations, Reba. I really am happy for you."

They hugged for a long moment. After they stepped apart, Reba inexplicably became nervous. "So, speaking of 'normal'...you have any questions you wanted to ask me? About last night, I mean? Don't you think things got a little weird?"

Much to his confusion, Brock noticed that the room became very quiet. Everyone seemed to be staring at him. His brow wrinkled while he struggled to figure out what was going on. "Yeah, I wanted to ask, are you okay? I get why Barbra Jean fainted, because of the pregnancy, but you said you had your blood pressure under control. And it's really strange they both happened at the same time."

Adam gave him a sympathetic glance. "Brock, do you remember what I told you? When we were waiting for them to wake up?"

Oh, that insanity. Brock fought for patience. "Alright, come on, I know you're messing with me. People don't actually switch bodies."

"We're not messing with you, Brock."

Reba sounded serious, way too serious for a practical joke. And why would she stage such a ridiculous stunt – one that wasn't even funny? Brock shrugged in apology. "I just don't get what you're all trying to say. Nothing about this makes sense."

"He's got a point there," Cheyenne muttered.

"Okay, how about this," Reba said, guiding Brock to the couch. "You sit down, and I'll tell you the whole thing, from beginning to end. But the deal is you can't interrupt. No matter what I say, how crazy I sound, how far-fetched it is...not a peep out of you until it's done. Got it?"

What choice did he have? It looked like his family would not let this go, whatever it was. "Yeah, sure. Now what in the world is this about?"

"Well, it started with my coma." Reba paced in front of Brock, clearly struggling to begin her tale. "That's when my life went from run-of-the-mill crazy...to downright unbelievable."

* * *

Brock had to admit she was pretty convincing. Reba spoke with complete sincerity, never once sounding like she was trying to put one over on him. Even the family got in on it, sharing their own comments, describing their parts when they each witnessed something bizarre. Lori Ann arrived just in time to join in. After a while the kids went upstairs to play video games, losing interest once the novelty wore off.

Nearly two hours later they'd finally reached the body-switching incident. Reba and Barbra Jean took turns describing what happened, making everyone double over with laughter in the process. They left out anything private, such as Brock and Barbra Jean's relationship issues, or Reba figuring out if she wanted to marry Adam.

Without proof, Brock still didn't believe anything angel-related. He almost felt bad because he could tell they really wanted him to believe. While he gave them points for creativity, he still didn't understand why they were pushing this joke so far. (Their old friend Terry, a guardian angel? He'd never believe that one for a variety of reasons.) Though...okay, both his wife and Reba fainting was really strange. And he'd witnessed a bunch of odd things over the past couple of years. He thought back to when Kyra was in trouble, and Nell...who did look an awful lot like Reba...

But _this?_

_It just didn't make sense._ What was really going on? Were they trying to distract him from something?

Thankfully the focus shifted off of convincing him. While that had been the main goal, everyone started recounting their own "Guardian Angel Terry" experiences. He got the sense they found it therapeutic to share their feelings on the subject.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Reba sigh before going into the kitchen. She'd been sitting on Adam's lap, so Brock raised an eyebrow at Adam. "Is she okay?"

Adam replied with another question. "You don't believe any of this, do you?"

Keeping his voice low, Brock moved closer to Adam. "Come on, man! No one would believe this! What the hell is really going on?"

"Look, I understand. You have no idea how much I understand," Adam assured him. "I'm not even sure I believe _everything_ myself. But do you really think they're just acting to fake you out?"

Remembering the Halloween prank, Brock grimaced. "It's happened before."

"Why am I not surprised?" Adam muttered. "Seriously, Brock. You know your family. Consider what you've seen, what they've told you. They couldn't make it all up, could they?"

Could they? Brock still wasn't sure. While he felt his resolve weakening, he held onto one thought – _magic wasn't real._ Maybe angels were real, but they certainly didn't introduce themselves to you and grant wishes. How could anyone expect him to...

"Hi, Brock."

_Oh, God. It can't be._

At the sound of a familiar voice, Brock's head snapped up towards the kitchen door. The room had become silent again.

Terry stood with Reba in the doorway.

Spooked, Brock leaped off the couch, almost tripping over people's feet as he stumbled backwards. Barbra Jean ran over to her husband and helped steady him. "It's okay, sweetie," Barbra Jean whispered. "It's okay."

"But...this can't...how..." Brock sputtered, never taking his eyes off Terry. "Mike told us you died."

"That I did. Can't recommend it."

Reba choked on her suppressed laughter, a hand over her mouth as she turned away for a second. "Go easy on him, Terry," Reba said once she composed herself. "He's still processing. By the way, this is Adam. I don't think you two officially met."

Closing his open mouth, Adam stood up on unsteady feet and shook Terry's hand. "H-hi. Um, I'm not sure what you're supposed to say when you meet the fiance's guardian angel. Thank you?"

Terry laughed. "Nice to meet you too, Adam."

Everyone else, especially Reba, seemed perfectly accepting of the dead man standing in the living room. Brock was having too many thoughts at once and could not sort through them all. _How does someone _die_ and then..._come back? _He can't be dead _and_ standing right in front of me. _But Brock's mind started catching up, and he remembered going to the funeral. The open casket at the funeral. He'd seen for himself that Terry passed.

Unless maybe that wasn't him in the casket?

Okay, now Brock was reaching.

"Brock, honey?" Barbra Jean whispered. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head, determined to form a coherent thought. He instantly regretted it when he remembered the last time he'd seen Terry alive.

_Oh, crap. Maybe I should run._

This time Brock backed up out of fear. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I really am! Terry, trust me, I've been punished for what I did. A _lot. _Life hasn't exactly been perfect since I stole Reba from you."

Barbra Jean gasped at the news, staring at all involved with wide eyes.

"Oh..." Brock trailed off, giving Reba an apologetic look. "I forgot Barbra Jean didn't know that."

Fortunately no one else seemed surprised – except Adam, who was more confused than upset. Reba must have clued the others in over the years. Realizing this conversation could get ugly, Cheyenne and Van moved into the kitchen (where they'd undoubtedly eavesdrop). Lori Ann looked like she wanted to stay but reluctantly trailed behind them. Adam exchanged a loaded glance with Reba, then decided he was better off going into the kitchen too.

Ignoring the quiet exodus, Reba glared daggers at her ex. "You never told her about our past?"

"Why would I? Did you tell Adam?"

"He didn't know about Terry in his present condition. It never came up!"

"Well, back at ya!"

"That's bull! It never came up when we went to his funeral?"

"Children!" Terry called jokingly, holding his hands in a time-out sign. "Hi, back from the dead, here? For the record, Brock...I forgive both of you. I forgave you even before I died. I wished you both well in my letter, didn't I?" The angel allowed a small smirk. "Not that it did any good. Seriously, Brock, what's wrong with you?"

Ignoring Terry's comment, Brock focused on the forgiveness part. "So you're really not haunting me?"

"No! Ghosts haunt, angels guide."

"And he's here for me, not you," Reba pointed out. Then she did a double-take at Terry. "Hold on. Are ghosts real too?"

Brock held up a hand before Terry could answer. "Please don't answer that, at least not while I can hear it. I'm dealing with enough as it is."

"So am I," Barbra Jean said, her hands on her hips. "Let me get this straight. Reba went out with you while she was with someone else? And no one ever thought it related to _my_ affair with Brock? Reba, how serious were you and Terry when this happened?"

Remembering Terry's engagement ring, Brock groaned. This had to be the worst party ever.

* * *

A few days later, Brock went over to Reba's. His mind still reeled after everything he'd learned over the weekend. Since his ex-wife was busier than ever these days, he stopped by for breakfast, the one time of day he could always catch her. He arrived to find Adam leaving.

_Nope, still not totally used to this._

_Then again, it's probably the least-weird thing I've seen all week._

"Hi," Brock greeted with an awkward wave. "Is this a bad time?"

Reba smirked at him. "Brock, just assume it's always a bad time. But since you're here anyway, sit down and I'll make you something."

"'Morning, Brock." Wearing an uncertain frown, Adam looked concerned about his fiance making breakfast for her ex-husband. But when in Rome... "Uh, okay then, I guess I'll head out. Reba, are you sure you have time for a second breakfast?"

"I'm sure." She gave Adam a reassuring good-bye kiss, one that lasted so long, Brock felt awkward. He rolled his eyes while neither were looking.

Even after that kiss, Adam was reluctant to leave. "I can hang out for a few minutes, you know."

"Relax, honey," Reba whispered, though Brock heard. "Brock doesn't usually stop over for breakfast unless he's driving Jake to school. I dumped a lot on him over the weekend, so we just need to talk. I mean...you were there. Did it look like he took things well?"

Adam nodded slowly, finally accepting the situation. "Alright. I'll call you later, babe. Let me know if you can get away for lunch."

After Adam left, Brock glanced at Reba. "Is he really worried about us being too close?"

Reba shrugged. "I don't think it's that simple. We have an odd little family here, so Adam's still trying to figure out what's normal."

"Can't really blame him on that one."

"Nope," Reba said with a laugh. "So you want eggs, cereal? I don't have time for anything more complex than that."

Brock thought it might be easier to talk about this while she had something else to focus on. "Um, eggs please. Over easy." As Reba started cooking, Brock realized he wasn't sure where to begin. "So...let's see if I have this right. When you were in a coma, you found out Terry Holliway is your guardian angel. Then when you woke up he was still there."

Reba laughed. "That's one way of putting it."

"But how? Why? And why you? You can't deny this is freaky, Reba."

"I'm with you on that, believe me," Reba agreed. "It's very freaky, and I don't have an explanation for you. But I also don't have a choice on this. I certainly didn't pray for a guardian angel, but he showed up, and here we are. Just like you and Barbra Jean. I'm forever surrounded by people determined to complicate my life."

Brock gave her a sideways glance. "Wait, having a guardian angel isn't considered a bad thing. Out-of-this-world strange, sure, but not _bad."_

"Maybe, but this guardian angel is _Terry Holliway..." _She paused as she put bread in the toaster, unsure how to explain it to Brock.

"Go on, Reba. I'm curious to see how you finish that sentence."

Brock hadn't been the one to interrupt. Terry did.

The two humans jumped when Terry appeared in the kitchen behind Brock. Again, Brock almost fell off his seat, his eyes as wide as they could be. "Gah!" he exclaimed, a hand over his pounding heart. "How...what the...how often does this happen, exactly?"

"Not this often," Reba assured him, then she glared at Terry. "Were you eavesdropping?"

Terry gave her an unrepentant grin. "You were the one talkin' about me. And I figured it couldn't hurt to stop by after this weekend."

"Oh, fine." Reba glanced at the eggs she was about to cook for Brock. "While I'm at it, you want eggs and toast?"

"Sure! Man, you don't realize how much you'd miss food until you don't need it anymore."

As Terry took a seat next to him at the counter, Brock fought for calm. He was just supposed to roll with this madness? "Reba, I'm a little concerned for your mental health. An angel appears in your kitchen and you offer to make him breakfast?"

"Why not? I'm already cooking anyway." She gave Brock an amused grin, aware of the point he was trying to make. "Look, is it crazy? Absolutely. But after a while, freaking out _all_ the time just becomes exhausting. This way is easier." She shook her head, unable to hold back a chuckle. "Though I should probably tell Adam I'm making breakfast for my ex-husband _and_ my ex-boyfriend. Poor guy."

"Yes, that _is_ the weird part," Brock deadpanned.

Terry laughed. "You know, I've missed this. Us hanging out. Things eventually went sour, but we had some great times in my bar."

Feeling guilty, Brock frowned and stared down at the countertop. Once upon a time, Terry had been his best friend in the whole world. Brock missed this too – sometimes, more than he cared to admit. Despite the divorce, and Terry's _death_, sitting with Terry made Brock felt like he'd traveled back in time. Which apparently his ex-wife actually did. "I really am sorry, Terry," Brock said, making eye contact with his old friend. "Sometimes I wish things turned out differently..."

Reba's head snapped up from the stove, narrowing her eyes at Terry. "That doesn't count, right?"

"Nope, don't worry about it."

"What...oh." Brock sighed, remembering that part of Reba's story. "Sorry, didn't mean it literally. But anyway Terry, one of my biggest regrets – and there are a lot of them – was ruining our friendship. I should have made amends while you were still...uh..."

Terry nodded in understanding. "Same here, Brock. I thought a lot about it myself, but then I got sick, and I wound up writing a letter. Never seemed like enough. Maybe that's part of the reason I'm with ya'll now."

Reba raised an eyebrow. "You're saying this is all one big case of karma?"

"It's a theory," Terry replied with a shrug. "But thank you both. Honestly I was hoping to have this conversation with ya'll at some point. I didn't think Brock would ever find out what was going on."

Brock glanced at Reba as she finally plated breakfast for her guests. "Yeah, about that. How was I the last one to know? _Lori Ann_ found out before I did!"

"Sorry about that," Reba replied, genuinely meaning it. "Once people started finding out I knew I'd have to tell you. But the opportunity never presented itself, and you were never suspicious like the others. I feel like you must have turned a blind eye with Nell. I mean, didn't you see the similarities? You knew me when I was that age!"

Grimacing, Brock admitted she made a good argument. He didn't like to borrow trouble, so when odd thing started happening, he refused to think much about them. "Yeah, I guess I buried my head in the sand," he agreed. "I didn't _want_ to know what was going on because it wouldn't be easy to accept. That's my M.O. When things got tough in our marriage, I turned to Barbra Jean."

Reba let out a deep sigh. "That's water under the bridge now, but it's good to hear you realize this. It'll help you patch things up with your wife."

"Wow," Brock said, more to himself than the others. "We've all grown a lot, haven't we? You really do care about me and Barbra Jean."

Reba shrugged. "It's like I said before, Brock. This way is easier. And I guess I gotta be nicer now that I'm your baby's godmother."

Terry looked up from his breakfast and gave her a sheepish smile. "Um, about that. I sort of, didn't realize Barbra Jean was pregnant when I switched you two..."

Both Reba and Brock gave him incredulous looks as they replied in unison. _"What?" _Reba added, "How could you not _know_ something like that?"

"Angels don't know everything, okay? Barbra Jean isn't my charge so it slipped through the cracks. I really wanted to apologize for the extra stress. If I'd have known I would've found another way to grant the wish..."

Reba just shook her head and pointed to the angel's half-empty plate. "Finish your breakfast, Terry."


	3. Reba's Second Audit

A/N: I wanted to write something fun, bordering on ridiculous, so this fit the bill! Plus I always liked the idea of Reba and Terry getting in some trouble after ten years of testing limits. Note: Follow-up to "Living in the Future."

Reba's Second Audit

_May 2017_

Since starting a non-profit theater company, Reba's life couldn't be more hectic. As much as everyone helped, she'd taken charge, which meant she had more meetings and tasks than anyone else. On top of that, her successful concert led to more shows and interviews. She'd booked a gig every Friday and Saturday for the next month – a first for her. Mix in the chaos of Kyra's pregnancy, and babysitting the grandkids on a regular basis...

It was all very _good. _Reba welcomed this high after what happened last month. The more chaotic her normal life became, the less she thought about her _not_ normal life. And she preferred it that way. Sure, she considered Terry a friend, but she needed a break from angel business when it became too much.

Last month's upheaval definitely qualified as "too much."

On that particular morning, a Sunday, Reba's mind was on family. She had about an hour or two before she needed to start dinner. Adam ran to the grocery store for her and would be back soon, so Reba began cleaning the living room for their company. She started by moving the coffee table books and magazines to the couch so she could dust the surface underneath.

"Reba Hart-Jacobson?"

"_Ah!" _Reba backed up into the couch and almost fell over, her magazines falling to the floor. The young blonde woman in a white suit had appeared out of thin air. Fighting for composure, Reba immediately knew the visitor was an angel – the second one she'd ever met. Meanwhile, the angel hadn't even blinked and patiently waited in the entryway.

So much for Reba's break.

The angel offered a sympathetic smile as she stepped down into the living room. "My apologies. I thought you'd be more used to this by now."

Embarrassed to be caught in her old around-the-house clothes, Reba clumsily grabbed the reading materials and dumped them back on the table. "From _Terry,_ not a stranger! One second please. I'm sure you've heard about my high blood pressure, so excuse me while my heart stops racing." She paused for a moment, let out a deep breath, and faced her guest. "Now, where's Terry, is he okay? Who are you?"

"I'm your auditor, Amelia." The angel took Reba's hand and shook it, since Reba was still too overwhelmed to respond. "I've been sent to review Terry Holliway's work as a guardian angel. This goes against standard protocol, but since your situation is so unusual, I wanted to interview you before I passed my final judgment."

The words "final judgment" struck fear into Reba's heart. "What does that mean, exactly? Are you telling me...if you don't like what you hear, Terry won't be my guardian angel anymore?"

Amelia nodded. "Essentially, yes. You must realize Terry hasn't done things by the book since your coma. Speaking to his brother was the last straw – after many, many straws. We've tried to look the other way since his unorthodox methods paid off, but now, we worry he might have influenced your life _too_ much." The angel paused. "Shall we sit?"

"Oh, uh, yes, please have a seat." Reba's heart still pounded as she sat on the couch. What had she done? Contacting Mike _had_ been a bad idea, and it was all her fault. "Please, Amelia...you can't punish Terry for something I did. _I_ convinced him to write the letter to his brother. _I_ invited Mike to the house. You can't blame him when it was me!" Reba cringed, suddenly afraid of an indoor lightning strike. "For the record I'm _really_ sorry."

Instead of a lecture, Amelia let out a long sigh. "This is what I meant, Reba. Not only is he too involved in your world, you're too involved in his. You never would have thought to contact Mike if Terry hadn't set a poor example."

"But you _can't_ take him away!" Reba insisted."He's a good friend and I don't want to lose him again!"

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "That's also the problem. Guardian angels are not supposed to be _good friends_ with their charges." She hesitated, narrowing her eyes at Reba. "I hate to even ask this, but given your history, I feel it's relevant. Has there ever been any...romance, between you two?"

"Good Lord, no!" Reba exclaimed, then regretted using the phrase considering present company. "I mean, it never even entered my mind, I swear! I understood from the get-go that our history had to _stay in the past._ The _distant_ past – even before Terry died I hadn't seen him in twenty-five years. And, if you need anymore reassurance, I have been a happily-married woman for over ten years now."

At least Amelia had the courtesy to look regretful. "I'm sorry. It's true, from all reports, we haven't had _that_ particular problem with you two. For the most part I wanted to see your reaction to the topic."

"Great, point for us," Reba replied sarcastically. "While we're on the subject, I've got a question for you. Why in the world did you make poor Terry _my_ guardian angel? Did no one Up There realize how tricky this would get?"

Surprised by the question, Amelia grimaced. "That was _not_ my decision. I'm only the auditor of your case, not the manager. Frankly I share your sentiment, Reba. I can only guess your two souls have a connection that supersedes your earthly relationship."

Reba almost argued with her but thought better of it. The idea almost...made sense? On the surface this situation shouldn't work out. But, after ten years of ridiculous ups and downs, here they were. Reba smiled when she realized how much it paralleled her journey with Brock and Barbra Jean.

"I'm back, hon! I think I got everything you needed."

All traces of amusement vanished. If Amelia found out her husband knew...that her whole _family_ knew...dear God. "Um, that's the husband I mentioned," Reba blurted. "I'll, uh, I better go tell him something. Send him out of the house."

"That's probably for the best," Amelia agreed.

"Excuse me. I don't suppose you want lemonade or anything?" As expected the angel declined, and Reba ran into the kitchen.

Adam smiled at her as he unpacked the groceries. The brightness in his eyes dimmed slightly when he noticed her distress. Glancing into the living room, he saw the stranger sitting on the couch. "Hey babe, everything okay? Who's that?"

"I'm being audited," Reba whispered, debating if she should close the divider. Would that make her look more suspicious?

"Again?" Adam exclaimed. "I thought you settled that IRS debt years ago!"

The kitchen would not be enough privacy. Reba put a finger over her lips and dragged Adam out to the driveway, closing over the back door but not shutting it. "We're not dealing with the IRS anymore, hon. This is _way_ higher up, and much scarier."

"What's scarier than the IRS?" Adam's eyes widened as he put two and two together. "That woman in there. She's...she's not human, is she?"

Reba shook her head. "She's a _heavenly_ auditor, Adam. Don't give me that look, I didn't know they existed either. But apparently the Mike thing was the last straw, and now she's evaluating Terry's 'work' as my guardian angel."

Despite Reba's warning, Adam's expression remained incredulous. "You're messing with me, right? An _angelic auditor?"_

"I wish I was kidding," Reba assured him, emotion getting to her the more she thought about the consequences. "She can take him away, Adam. If she's not happy with what she sees, Terry won't be my guardian angel anymore. And frankly, I'm not a hundred-percent sure it'll stop there. I might be in hot water too since some of this is my fault."

Adam went from confused to angry, and none of it was directed at Reba. "That's crazy! I don't care if she is an angel, what right does she have to drop out of the sky and badger you with questions? First they drag you into this insanity, then they punish you for accepting it? I won't stand for this, Reba! I'm going in there and giving that _angel_ a piece of my mind!"

"Don't! Adam, please, don't make this worse!" Reba stood between her husband and the door, secretly flattered he'd charge in to defend her. "I'm not sure she knows how many people found out about Terry. In case she doesn't, I rather not tell her."

Still fuming, Adam glared at the door, clearly eager to follow through on his threat. Instead he let out a deep, calming breath. "Fine. I get it, this is something you have to deal with. But _call me_ the second you change your mind. Promise me, Reba."

Reba couldn't help smiling. "I promise, Adam." Then she kissed him to show her appreciation. "There is one thing I need you to do."

"Anything."

"Spread the word about what's going on. Barbra Jean said she might come over early and..."

"Gotcha," Adam said with a nod. "I'll wait over at their house and text the kids while I'm at it."

"Bless you. See you soon, I hope." Reba hugged him again, waiting an extra second before she pulled away. After he walked back down the driveway, Reba squared her shoulders and went into the house with renewed determination.

* * *

Not bothering to take the car, Adam stomped over to the Harts' house in about two minutes. This "audit" really pissed him off. Reba had been through so much over the years, and now Terry's superiors had the nerve to reprimand her? As soon as he got to Brock and Barbra Jean's house, he was going to do _something_ about this.

"Whoa! What the hell happened to you?" Brock exclaimed, opening the door to his steaming friend.

Ignoring that, Adam stormed into the house. He vaguely registered Barbra Jean sitting on the couch with visiting Kyra. "Terry!" Adam shouted upwards, making everyone jump. "You get your butt down here now! And you better have a good explanation for this crap!"

Both Kyra and Barbra Jean paled at the mention of Terry. "What's going on with Mom?" Kyra attempted to leap from the couch even while pregnant. She just barely made it to her feet. "Adam, is she okay?"

"I don't know," Adam answered, making all three Harts gasp. "That's why Terry better get his angelic ass down here NOW and EXPLAIN!"

"Okay, I'm here! What the heck are you yellin' about?"

Adam whirled around to find Terry behind him. "Don't tell me you don't know what's going on," Adam warned, taking a threatening step towards the angel.

Startled by the human's death glare, Terry backed up towards the dining area. Barbra Jean ran over to stand between the two. "Adam, beating up an angel won't make the situation _better._ Now someone tell me what in the wold happened to Reba!"

"She's being audited!" Adam replied. "And not by the IRS! Right now some uppity angel is grilling her because _this_ angel couldn't follow the rules!"

Terry's jaw dropped while the other humans stared in confusion. "No, that's impossible! I can't...THEY can't...this isn't right!"

"Thank you!" Adam paused at Terry's unexpected reply. "Wait, what?"

"Terry, _what's going on?"_ Kyra demanded, her arms crossed.

Though still rattled, Terry calmed enough to explain. "All guardian angels receive an audit after a certain amount of time, just to make sure things are going smoothly. Normally it's no big deal and the human never knows anything about it."

"But because this _isn't_ normal..." Brock said, beginning to understand.

Terry nodded. "I guess because of everything that's happened, the auditor wanted to speak with Reba first-hand. But that's not fair! None of this is Reba's fault! If there's a problem, They should be speaking to ME and ONLY me! I knew the audit was being processed, but I swear, I _never_ thought they'd bother her. I'm going over there and putting a stop to this right now."

"Wait, Terry," Adam called, catching Terry before the angel disappeared. He'd significantly calmed, but now, he couldn't push down the concern. And the fear. "Reba's really shaken up about this. She's scared of losing you. More than that...she believes she'll be punished for her part in everything."

"They can't do that!" Kyra exclaimed. "I know Mom's destined to be an angel and everything, but she's not under Their jurisdiction _yet."_

Barbra Jean smirked to show her agreement. "Yeah, what are They gonna do? They can't, like, reverse the wishes." She froze when all other humans in the room gave her terrified looks. "Oh my gosh. Terry, please tell me They can't."

"That won't happen, Barbra Jean," Terry answered. Everyone else sighed with relief. "Adam...auditors might seem intimidating, but as far as that goes, Reba has nothing to worry about. I can't even believe the auditor got Reba involved."

Adam felt his insides unclench at Terry's confirmation. He wouldn't lose Reba. That must have been why he'd gotten so wound up. He'd learned about the wishes over the years, and knew their relationship could be considered "the result" of wish number three. On some level, he'd feared that the auditor would retaliate by reversing the wish. "So Reba is safe, then? Nothing will happen to her?"

Terry smiled, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Reba's fine, Adam. I just...might not be her guardian angel anymore."

* * *

Talking to Adam boosted Reba's confidence. He was absolutely right – how dare The Powers That Be hassle her, when They started all this? How could she know what to do, or what not to do, when this wasn't even "her world"?

But putting the blame on Terry wouldn't help matters either. She'd still lose him. Acting defensive would imply they'd done something wrong in the first place. Keeping her face neutral, Reba braced herself as she walked back into the living room. "Sorry about that, Amelia," she said as she sat down on the couch. "So, um, where were we?"

Amelia frowned at her with disapproval. "I believe you were trying to hide from me that your husband knows about guardian angels."

_Crap. _"I, uh, didn't want to bring him into this," Reba explained weakly.

"Reba, I've been updated on your family," Amelia informed her. "Are you aware that seventeen people besides you know about angels now? Two of them – your best friend Lori Ann, and a Reverend Parks – aren't related to you. You've also told your son's girlfriend when they aren't even engaged, and Terry's brother, who you don't see regularly."

Wow, that many? She never realized the most recent number was that high. Even though Reba winced, she stuck by her strategy. "What's your point?"

"Angels are able to do their work because there is an element of secrecy," Amelia explained impatiently. "It's one of the reasons I'm here. The more Terry is around, the more likely someone else will find out."

"But it's not like I broadcast it on the Internet! I mean...isn't this a good thing, in a way?" When she got an idea for her defense, Reba went for it. "There are more cynics these days than ever before. Now you've got all these people who are firm believers. Reverend Parks even said to to me recently – everyone has doubts, but now he knows for sure and he's grateful for it. My kids, their kids, Brock and Barbra Jean's family, they'll never forget this. Maybe we'll all go on to make the world a better place, at least this corner of it anyway."

Amelia tilted her head in consideration, surprised by Reba's argument. "I admit I've never looked at it that way. However, you do realize this could easily get out of hand. Not everyone is as trustworthy as those in your circle."

"I understand that side of it," Reba assured her. "Honestly, I've never gone out of my way to tell anyone. Most of my family, including Lori Ann, was involved with a wish somehow. I would never have told Quinn if it wasn't necessary for...uh..."

With a small sigh, Amelia finished, "The concert you saw when you went to the future. Go on."

"Wow, uh, you _are_ well-informed." Reba made a mental note to assume Amelia knew everything. It would save her some trouble. "And Reverend Parks found out because, frankly, I was losing my mind and needed to speak with someone sane. Do you _realize_ how bizarre this has all been for me? Maybe I talk to angels on a regular basis, but I'm still a human with no idea how this works. I like to think I've handled it pretty well so far."

Amelia's expression now held some sympathy. "You have, Reba. When I was given your file, I couldn't believe what you've experienced, and how you rose above it. Maybe there's been some misunderstanding, but I'm not auditing _you._ I'm only here to determine how reliant you and Terry are on each other."

"But _why?"_ Reba suddenly became emotional and did her best to fight it back. "Look, it's true, nothing about this is normal – even by angel standards, from what I hear. But it's working for us. My life right now...it never would've happened without Terry. Lori Ann made me see that, actually. Each and every wish helped me cope with something I never could've faced on my own. Maybe he went the long and crazy way around, but it fell into place. I'm beginning to suspect that's what I needed all along."

Though she hesitated for a minute, Amelia still wasn't convinced. "There have been more oversteps than the incident with Mike Holliway. I'm sure you remember being arrested because of a wish. And more recently, you were _not_ supposed to find out about your angelic destiny, despite what Terry might have believed at the time."

"I...I wasn't?"

"No. We briefly considered reversing it..." At Reba's puzzled look, Amelia explained, "Wiping your memory, which could be done. But we didn't realize it soon enough."

Well, that was pretty disturbing, but oddly enough it didn't shock her. "I don't understand, why would Terry tell me then?"

"Because you're 'good friends,'" Amelia said with air quotes. "He wanted to tell you, and he convinced himself it was time since you'd been asking a lot of questions. This is the problem, Reba. There's a delicate balance in the universe. Your friendship with Terry could set a precedent that tips the scales. I asked the romance question not out of the blue, but because it's a possibility and the results would be disastrous. There are many factors at play here, and some of them have little to do with you."

Stunned, Reba tried to process Amelia's answer. Suddenly she felt the weight of the universe on her shoulders. It never occurred to her that being friends with Terry would affect anyone else. If what Amelia said was the truth, her closeness with Terry could change all future guardian angel-human relationships. And not for the better.

"Then I'm not sure what's left for me to say." Reba's response was quiet as she struggled for the right words. "If that's true, then no argument will convince you to let Terry stay. And after hearing all that, well, maybe you shouldn't, as much as I'd miss him in my life. I guess I have to put my faith in 'The Powers That Be' and accept your judgment." Amelia stared at Reba for a long moment, taking in the human's response.

She never got to reply since Terry appeared behind Reba. "What are you _doing_ here?" he demanded, all of his anger directed at the other, much calmer angel. "Auditors never interview charges. You're putting Reba on the spot when there's no reason for it."

Already on edge, Reba jumped at his unexpected appearance. She took a second to catch her breath. "Terry, it's fine..."

"No it's not!" Terry argued. "I'm so sorry, Reba. Please believe I didn't know this was going on."

Reba sighed as she stood from the couch. "Terry, everything's alright." Saddened by the thought of not seeing him anymore, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Amelia and I talked and...I get it now. This is bigger than the both of us. Of course I hope things swing in our favor, but if they don't...we'll have to move on. Maybe it's for the best." Reba quickly wiped away some tears before turning back to Amelia.

Shocked by Reba's speech, Terry glared at the auditor. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't 'do' anything, we talked." Amelia also stood, her arms crossed as she glanced at Terry. "Apparently your charge has more sense and maturity than you do."

Despite the situation, Reba couldn't help smirking at Terry. "Some things never change."

Amelia surprised Terry by laughing. "You know, Terry, I mostly had my mind made up before I came here today. This was the last step in the process for me. I thought I'd pop in, chat with Reba, and wrap up my audit. It didn't look good for you."

Reba gasped softly, realizing what Amelia implied. Terry looked hopeful but didn't celebrate just yet. "I-Is that still true?" he asked.

"As you may have guessed, no, it isn't," Amelia confirmed, smiling at the only human in the room. "Reba, you really are something else, and I mean that in the best way possible. I can see why you're destined to be a guardian angel. And after talking to you today, I may have to correct some of my assumptions. I'm not sure what I expected to find, but I did _not_ expect someone who has flourished under highly unusual circumstances."

Daring to hope, Reba stepped forward. "Wait, so...Terry can stay? He can be my guardian angel?"

Amelia hesitated before answering. "I still need to check with my superiors, but right now, yes, I'm inclined to leave things as they are. I'm starting to believe you two have a connection that overcomes all logic."

"Can't argue with that," Terry joked, holding up a hand for Reba to high-five him. "Come on, don't leave me hangin'."

Reba chuckled as she high-fived Terry. "Well, it's not confirmed yet. But I do feel better about this."

"Amazing," the auditor commented, amused by their dynamic. "I'll admit, I _never_ would have thought this could work. I'm happy I decided to speak with Reba. However, if I do rule in your favor, you two need to back me up. No more overstepping – or I _will_ conduct another audit, and I might not be so lenient next time."

The guardian angel and human exchanged concerned glances. "Um, if you could define 'overstepping'..." Reba began, with Terry nodding in agreement.

Amelia paused when she realized Reba made a good point. "Alright, I suppose in this case, I might need to review the rules. But _please_, do not tell any more humans if it can be helped. And I insist on deactivating the 'wishing star.'"

"Now _that_ I'll agree with," Reba said, narrowing her eyes at Terry.

"What? I can't believe you'd say that after everything it's done for you," Terry said, only half-joking. He frowned at Reba and Amelia's matching stern expressions. "You two bond or somethin' today?"

"Terry!"

The guardian angel caved at Reba's order. "Okay, _fine."_

Amelia's jaw dropped slightly at that. "Now this is something I've never seen before. Reba, do you do that a lot? Because he rarely listens to anyone else."

"Shocking," Reba commented sarcastically. "But I guess it goes back to us knowing each other so well. We...we make each other better. He pushes me out of my comfort zone, and I..."

"Keep me in line?" Terry said with a teasing grin.

"Exactly."

"Just amazing," Amelia said with a shake of her head. "Well, I guess I have everything I need..."

Getting an idea, Reba stopped Amelia before she could disappear. "Hey, um, what's your stance on me inviting Terry to hang out with the family? Not every week, of course, but in situations like this when he's already here? Oh, uh, you're welcome to stay too of course."

Amelia burst out laughing. "There's something else I've never heard before. For any other case, I'd say absolutely not, but we've firmly established this is not any other case. While there hasn't been an official ruling yet...oh, sure, go ahead. I can't see how it could possibly hurt."

"That's awesome!" Terry exclaimed. "Thank you!"

Reba nodded in agreement. "Yes, thank you, that's very generous. And you're still welcome to stay if you'd like."

"Thank you, Reba. Unfortunately I need to write up this report." Amelia smiled at Reba and Terry. "As I said, nothing's official yet, but I don't think you have to worry. Good luck to you both." With that, Amelia disappeared from the room.

Reba and Terry cheered and shared a celebratory hug.

* * *

Ten minutes later, after Reba texted her husband the all-clear, Adam burst into the house and ran to hug his wife. Barbra Jean, Brock and Kyra rushed in behind him, nearly crowding the door in their efforts to find out what happened. Terry gave Adam and Reba some room, looking uneasy after the incident at the Harts' house. "Are you okay, Reba?" Adam asked as they broke apart.

"I'm fine! Everything's fine!" Reba insisted, accepting hugs from her family. "I'm sorry I worried ya'll. It's true, I was...a little scared, at first. But I overreacted because I thought she was here to punish me."

Her husband glared at Terry. "Which could've been avoided if you'd given her a warning."

"Adam, please believe me when I tell you I had no idea this was going on!"

Reba narrowed her eyes at them both. "Alright, what'd I miss?"

While Adam and Terry looked uncomfortable, Kyra sat on one of the side couches and happily supplied an answer. "Your husband almost beat up your guardian angel. Man, I love these situations. We all get to say crazy stuff like _that."_

"Adam!" Reba exclaimed.

"You were really upset and it was Terry's fault...if inadvertently." Adam grimaced at her disappointed glare. "And...okay, yeah, I was scared. If they reversed the wishes I could've lost you and...I guess I overreacted too." He glanced back at Terry. "Sorry, man."

Terry reached over and shook Adam's outstretched hand. "Don't worry about it. This one here gets mad at me all the time. Comes with the job."

"Only when you deserve it," Reba retorted. "Which is a _lot._ Don't make me regret saving your butt today, mister." Meanwhile she hugged Adam again, showing how much she appreciated the gesture. Even if he did get carried away.

Barbra Jean, Brock and Kyra gave her bemused looks. "Wait, _you_ saved _him?" _Brock asked. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

Everyone took seats around the living room as Reba explained. "Apparently, all guardian angels are audited. This particular auditor, Amelia, was here because of certain...incidents, and wanted to review our case."

Brock smirked. "So Terry landed himself in trouble, and this auditor angel was his judge."

"In a nutshell," Terry grumbled.

"Okay, yeah, I'm downplaying it now," Reba admitted. "But I really could've lost Terry today. Before she came here, this auditor was already against us and wanted to wrap things up."

Kyra raised an eyebrow. "So, what, you single-handedly changed her mind?"

"Your mother was brilliant," Terry confirmed, grinning at Reba "That fake-out where you said you'd accept her decision? Genius. You even pretended to cry."

Reba shook her head. "It was all real, Terry. Those were real tears. Smooth-talking my way out of it wouldn't work, and she made some good arguments. In the end I...left it up to fate. And I think that swayed her."

"Wow." Terry paused, giving her a scrutinizing glance. _"Are_ you okay? I know everything turned out fine, but it's a lot for a human charge to go through. Even you."

Adam nodded. "Yeah hon, what did she say to you? She didn't yell or anything, did she?"

At the other's anxious looks, Reba shook her head. "No. Actually, in the end, we got along pretty well. Things were just stressful at first because the audit caught me by surprise. By the way, Adam, The Powers That Be know you found out about Terry. They know about _all_ of you."

"Okay, that's awkward," Kyra commented.

"Yeah," Barbra Jean agreed. "Hey, Reba? Is there a chance _we_ could get in trouble?"

Reba chuckled. "No, she made it clear she wasn't auditing _me._ But she did grill me a bit when the subject came up, and honestly, I didn't realize so many people know now. One of her conditions is that I can't tell any more people about Terry."

"That seems fair," Brock said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but there's another condition," Terry added. "No more wishes either."

Adam, Brock and Barbra Jean were relieved by the news, but Kyra looked genuinely disappointed. "No way! It would be, like, the end of an era!"

"Thank you!" Terry exclaimed. "See Kyra, that's why you're my favorite. Don't tell nobody."

Reba shook her head at them both. "Honestly it's just as well. I haven't made a wish in ten years, and I can't imagine a situation where I'd make another one. The last two weren't even my wishes!" Then she glanced at her guardian angel and smiled. "But I am grateful for what they gave me. I'm also happy you're in my life now, as strange and outrageous and wonderful as it is."

"Back at you, Reba."

"And since today's excitement is over, ya'll can help me start dinner."

* * *

Several hours later as the evening wound down, Terry helped Reba clean up in the kitchen after dinner. Only Brock and Barbra Jean's family lingered. Terry tried not to socialize with the Harts too long, but since he had permission this time, he didn't see a reason to hurry off. They all had a great afternoon. Unfortunately Adam had to leave right after dinner for a work emergency. He'd said good-bye to everyone, and told Reba he'd try to be back in an hour.

Sometimes Terry could've tricked himself into thinking things were normal, that he was just a family friend dropping by for a visit. He liked to blame it on dying, that he didn't have enough time to make up with Reba and Brock. But that was bull. They could've had this dinner together years ago if he'd extended an olive branch.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Reba asked him.

Terry shrugged. "Kickin' myself, as usual. Thinkin' of all the dinners I could've had with you guys when I was alive."

"Terry, it wasn't on you to make everything alright between us." Reba sighed and leaned forward on the kitchen island. "Would it have changed things if you'd reached out? Maybe. But Brock and I didn't give you a call either, and we're the ones who should've apologized. I don't think I've apologized enough, really, in all the years you've been around. After everything you've done for me."

"I wasn't asking for an apology, Reba..."

"Well, maybe you should. I'm so sorry, Terry."

Terry gave her an appreciative smile. They finished up the dishes and went back into the living room, where Barbra Jean and the two kids got ready to leave. "Thanks for everything, Reba," she said. "Terry, it was nice seeing you. Glad you're sticking around."

"Me too," he said, accepting her hug.

Savannah also gave Terry a big hug. "Can I pray for you to come back soon? Mommy says you don't have an email."

The adults and Henry chuckled. "I'd love that, Savannah," Terry answered. "I may not be able to answer right away, but ya'll will see me again."

"Yay!" Savannah cheered. Both she and Henry waved good-bye as they went out to the porch. Barbra Jean and Reba remembered something they wanted to clear up for the week, so Reba ended up following them out.

Only Terry remained when Brock came downstairs after rounding up Savannah's toys. "So I guess we'll see you next time, Terry," Brock said, shaking Terry's hand with his free one. "I'm glad we got to hang out today. You know, after the usual craziness that comes with one of your visits."

"Yeah, about that." Now Terry knew why he'd stayed so long. "Hey, Brock, somethin' bothering you? You were a little off today."

Brock frowned. "What, is this a guardian angel thing?"

"No, it's a 'we were best buds for ten years' thing," Terry answered, making Brock laugh. "But yeah, it's the angel sense too. Come on, 'fess up. Adam's hero act really bothered you today, didn't it?"

"H-how...why..." Brushing off the phenomenon, Brock sat on the step, Savannah's backpack still in his hand. "It shouldn't bother me, okay? But watching Adam storm in like that because he was upset about Reba...I never did that for her, Terry. I never got so wound up that I would fight someone for her. Shoot, Adam was ready to take on every angel in Heaven if it came down to that. I wouldn't even fight you when I was young enough to win a fight."

"To be fair, I would've kicked the crud out of you," Terry joked. At Brock's upset glance, he sighed and leaned on the banister. "Look, everyone's different. Every relationship is different. You showed your love for Reba in other ways, and I'm sure you're romantic with Barbra Jean now."

"Being romantic isn't the same as taking on God Himself," Brock argued.

Terry laughed. "Well, the situation didn't exactly present itself back when you and Reba were married."

"But I keep putting myself in Adam's place. What would I have done today?" The disgust on Brock's face was purely self-directed. "You wanna know the answer? Nothing. I would've shrugged it off and gone to play golf or something."

"Brock, you can't know that for sure."

"I know _me, _Terry. If I were married to Reba when all this started happening, I wouldn't have wanted to know. I mean, no offense, but there are times I'd still rather not know." Brock rubbed his forehead, then rested his head on his hand. "That's always been my problem, hasn't it? I don't worry about other people as much as I worry about me."

Terry gave Brock a sympathetic smile. "Maybe that was true back in the old days. But you can't keep punishing yourself for being the person you were in the past. You can only move forward. Now that you know this about yourself, you can fix it. And you've improved a lot! You just have to think of yourself as a work-in-progress. Everyone is, no matter what age they are."

"Wow," Brock said with grin. "Is that professional guardian-angel advice?"

"I believe it is."

They shared a laugh as Brock got to his feet. This time he gave his old friend a quick hug. "Thanks, man. I know what I said, but at the same time, it's good to have you back."

* * *

After waving good-bye to Brock, Barbra Jean and the kids, Reba stepped back inside to find Terry waiting for her. "Oh, hi. I thought you would've disappeared on me."

"Almost did, but I remembered one very important thing."

"The star," Reba said, and Terry nodded in confirmation. "I'm proud of you, Terry. I thought you would've tried to weasel out of it."

Terry shrugged. "Rules are rules. Besides, I've given it some thought, and maybe it is time. You don't need wishes anymore to go after what you want."

"I guess that's true. Look at me, all grown-up," Reba joked. She sighed and glanced up the stairs. "The star's in the attic, so..."

"Allow me."

"What?"

In the next second, Reba found herself in the attic, standing next to grinning Terry. She regained her balance and glared at him. "We could've _walked."_

"Gotta keep you on your toes somehow."

"_So_ not necessary," Reba grumbled, rummaging through boxes. She moved them aside until she found the Christmas decorations. Terry moved to help her, and one by one, they looked through every box.

But the star was missing.

"It's...it has to be here." Reba refused to give up. She and Terry turned the attic upside down, searching through the other boxes, checking hidden nooks and crannies. "I _know_ I put it in a box after we took down the decorations. Maybe...maybe one of the kids took it? Although if they _did_ take it to make a wish, they're in a world of trouble."

But Terry shook his head. "I think it was Amelia."

"How's that?"

"I can't say for sure, but the star was probably gone as soon as she made the order," Terry explained. "The Powers That Be,' as you call 'em, would've wanted to enforce the ruling Themselves."

Taking that in, Reba put her hand on her hip. All she could do was raise an eyebrow at him. "Alright then. You know, that was _my_ star. You owe me a tree topper."

Terry laughed as he prepared to leave. "Deal. You'll have one by Christmas, I promise."

"I'm holding you to it."


End file.
